Earthquake strikes southeast Iran; no injuries

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A moderate earthquake has struck southeastern Iran, though there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey says an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.9 struck at 6:16 a.m. local time Monday (0246 GMT, 9:46 p.m. EST), some 100 kilometers (62 miles) southwest of Zahedan, Iran. That area sits near Iran's eastern border with Pakistan.

The official IRNA news agency reported no damage or injuries from the temblor. However, even moderate quakes have killed thousands of people in the past in Iran's countryside.

Some 26,000 people were killed by a 6.6-magnitude quake that flattened the historic southeastern city of Bam in the same region in 2003.

Iran sits on a series of seismic fault lines and experiences one slight earthquake quake a day on average.